Luke Tashjian: Cohen and Wolf, P.C.

Overview

Luke Tashjian is an estate planning, tax, and corporate attorney. He advises his clients on estate planning, tax structuring, and transactional matters. He also represents individuals and businesses ranging from local brick and mortar businesses to multinational corporations in tax controversy matters at the state and federal levels. Luke’s tax controversy practice has provided him with unique insight regarding how to effectively structure commercial transactions and estate plans. He is experienced in representing businesses and their founders from the start-up stage through initial public offering.

In his estate planning practice, Luke regularly assists clients by preparing documents that accomplish their philanthropic, personal, and economic goals. These documents regularly include pledge agreements, naming rights agreements, and a variety of trust agreements such as: revocable trusts, domestic asset protection trusts (DAPTs), irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), complex trusts, grantor trusts, beneficiary-grantor trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), and spousal limited access trusts (SLATs).

Luke has developed a significant family-office practice where he advises high net worth clients on the establishment and management of family offices as well as providing guidance on the day-to-day operations of family offices.

His estate planning practice is intertwined with his corporate law practice where he advises clients on the formation of business entities, the purchase and sale of businesses, investments and subscriptions in businesses and funds, the granting of equity compensation, the establishment of business succession plans, and the transfer of fund interests.

Luke began his career in Massachusetts and graduated first in his class from the Boston University Graduate Tax Program with an LL.M. in Taxation. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Luke is a frequent lecturer and published author. He has been elected as a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and has twice been elected Chair of the Tax Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate Law, Tax Litigation and Controversy, and Trusts and Estates. He is listed in Super Lawyers® for Estate Planning and Probate. He is AV Preeminent® Rated on Martindale-Hubbell.

Luke is committed to his community and serves as Cubmaster of his local Cub Scout pack and as Chairman of the New Canaan Zoning Board of Appeals. He and his wife have a young son, and Luke greatly enjoys assisting young families with their estate planning needs and offering parents clarity and assurance regarding their estate planning decisions.

Credentials

Education

University of Connecticut (BA)

University of Connecticut School of Law (JD)

Boston University School of Law (LLM – Tax)

Admissions

Massachusetts (2006)
Connecticut (2007)
New York (2012)
U.S. Tax Court
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut

Honors & Awards

Best Lawyers in America®, Corporate Law, 2025-2026

Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, 2026

Best Lawyers in America®, Tax Law, 2022-2026

Best Lawyers in America®, Trusts & Estates, 2022-2026

Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America, Business & Corporate, Tax, 2026

Connecticut Super Lawyers®, Estate Planning, & Probate, 2022-2025 and Tax Law, 2022

Connecticut Super Lawyers®, "Rising Star", Estate Planning & Administration, 2015-2021

Martindale-Hubbell, AV^® Preeminent™ Peer Rating, 2025

Moffly Media's Top Lawyers in Fairfield County, Tax Law, 2024

Moffly Media's Top Lawyers in Fairfield County, Wills, 2021 and 2023

Newsroom

News

Speaking Engagements

Cohen and Wolf Sponsors the 2025 Federal Tax Institute of New England
Saint Clements Castle, Portland, CT, 10.30.2025
Moderator of Diversity Panel at The Federal Tax Institute of New England, November 14, 2024.
11.14.2024
Presenter, "Income Tax Effects of Trust Modifications and Decanting," Federal Tax Institute of New England, November 14, 2024.
11.14.2024
Presenter, "Connecticut Tax Update," New York Society of CPAs, November 7, 2024.
11.07.2024
Presenter, "Step by Step Guide to Drafting Wills and Trusts in Connecticut," National Business Institute, September 23, 2024.
09.23.2024
Presenter, "Connecticut Income Tax Apportionment and the Taxation of Remote Workers," Connecticut Legal Conference, June 10, 2024.
06.10.2024
Presenter, “Connecticut Tax Update,” New York Society of CPAs, November 30, 2022.
11.30.2022
Presenter, “Representing Clients in State and Federal Tax Collection Matters,“ Federal Tax Institute of New England, April 29, 2022.
04.29.2022
Presenter, “Tax Provisions in the CARES Act,“ Connecticut Legal Conference, September 14, 2020.
09.14.2020
Presenter, “The Probate Process from Start to Finish,” National Business Institute, May 5, 2020.
05.05.2020
Presenter, “Business Succession Planning,” Connecticut Legal Conference, June 10, 2019.
06.10.2019
Moderator, “Connecticut Tax Update with Commissioner Scott Jackson,” Fairfield County Bar Association and Connecticut Society of CPA’s, October 24, 2018.
10.24.2018
Moderator, “Tax and Ethics Panel, “Federal Tax Institute of New England, October 18, 2018.
10.18.2018
Presenter, “Civil Tax Non-Compliance for Decedent’s Estates,” Probate Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, October 1, 2018.
10.01.2018
Presenter, “Estate Inventories and Satisfying Creditor Claims,” National Business Institute, September 25, 2018.
09.25.2018
Presenter, “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and State Responses to the Act,” Westchester County Chapter of the New York Society of Independent Accountants, June 14, 2018.
06.14.2018
Presenter, “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,” Connecticut Bar Association’s Annual Conference, June 11, 2018.
06.11.2018
Presenter, “Income Taxation of Trusts and Structuring Marital Trusts,” National Business Institute, June 7, 2018.
06.07.2018
Presenter, “Marshalling Assets and Handling Claims Against Estates,” National Business Institute, May 17, 2018.
05.17.2018
Moderator, “Tax Ethics Panel,” Tax Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, May 9, 2018.
05.09.2018
Presenter, “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,” Fairfield County and Westchester County Chapter of the International Fiscal Association, April 26, 2018.
04.26.2018
Presenter, “Income Taxation of Trusts,” Halfmoon Education, Inc., December 7, 2017.
12.07.2017
Moderator, “Ethics Issues for Tax and Estate Planning Attorneys,” Federal Tax Institute of New England, November 10, 2017.
11.10.2017
Presenter, “Business Succession Planning,” National Business Institute, June 26, 2017.
06.26.2017
Moderator, “New Partnership Audit Rules,” Connecticut Bar Association, June 12, 2017.
06.12.2017
Presenter, “Creditor Claims Against Estates,” National Business Institute, May 15, 2017.
05.15.2017
Presenter, “Tax Deductions for Donations of Conservation Easements & Donations of Real Property,” Greenwich Land Trust, May 3, 2017.
05.03.2017
Presenter, “The Ultimate Guide to Probate,” National Business Institute, December 6, 2016.
12.06.2016
Presenter, “Connecticut Estate and Income Domicile & Residency Audits,” Federal Tax Institute of New England, November 18, 2016.
11.18.2016
Presenter, “Internal Revenue Service’s Section 2704 Proposed Regulations,” Tax Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, October 19, 2016.
10.19.2016
Presenter, “Cancellation of Indebtedness Income,” Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Bar Association, June 13, 2016.
06.13.2016
Presenter, “Representing Clients in Civil Tax Collection Matters,” New York Society of Independent Accountants, June 18, 2015.
06.18.2015
Presenter, “2014 Connecticut Tax Law Changes,” New York Society of Independent Accountants, January 6, 2015.
01.06.2015
Presenter, “Everything You Wanted to Know About Choosing a Business Entity and Starting a Business from the IRS/DRS Perspective,” Fairfield County Bar Association, December 9, 2014.
12.09.2014
Presenter, “The Connecticut Model Entity Transaction Act,” Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants, September 18, 2014.
09.18.2014
Presenter, “Tax Aspects of Cross Entity Mergers and Conversions,” Connecticut Bar Association, March 21, 2014.
03.21.2014
Presenter, “Tax Considerations in Choice of Business Entity,” Connecticut Bar Association, November 15, 2013.
11.15.2013
Presenter, “The Use of Beneficiary Owned Trusts and a Comparison of Such Trusts to Alternate Estate Planning Vehicles,” Connecticut Bar Association’s Tax Section, March 20, 2013.
03.20.2013

Publications

Co-Author, “You Left Connecticut (or Never Came) and Think You’re Not a Connecticut Resident? The State’s Long Arm for Estate Tax Purposes and Other Unpleasant Surprises,” 35 CT Lawyer 4 (April 2025).
Author, “The Survival of Universal Health Care in Massachusetts,” 32 W. NEW ENG. L. REV. 141 (2010).
Author, “The Use of Beneficiary Defective Trusts in Modern Estate Planning,” 48 A.B.A. REAL PROP. TR. & EST. L.I. 353 (2014).
2014

Professional Affiliations

Fellow, The American College of Trusts & Estate Counsel

Member of the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Tax Law Section, Current Co-Chair and Past Chair

Past Chair of the Fairfield County Bar Association’s Tax Committee

Support Staff

Julie Sohon
203.341.5328
jsohon@cohenandwolf.com

Community Involvement

Chairman, New Canaan Zoning Board of Appeals

Den Leader, New Canaan Cub Scout Pack 7

Member, New Canaan Exchange Club

Luke T. Tashjian

Practice Areas